She actually told you to let yourself get fat . I stopped Zumba when it started to feel weird. At a certain point jumping wasn't fun, but I didn't miss the burpees. However, I wish I had kept up my routine. Five years later I still have 20 lbs hanging around.

I had a friend who made the gym staff nervous. But she was only doing what she had done before she got pregnant. And at eight months she was in better shape than pre-pregnancy me.

Congrats on your pregnancy and more power to you. As long as you follow your doctor's advice regarding exercise at each stage (I remember my doctor telling me not to let my heart rate get above 144 bpm...I was a runner...so I had to pay attention and dial it back just a bit) keep going for as long as you are up for it.

As for intrusive comments and lectures, "I'm closely following my doctor's advice, but thanks for your interest" and move on to the next event. You make a reference to the higher authority (your doctor), who is presumably better informed on exercise and pregnancy than is the typical person on the street....or in the gym.

As for intrusive comments and lectures, "I'm closely following my doctor's advice, but thanks for your interest" and move on to the next event. You make a reference to the higher authority (your doctor), who is presumably better informed on exercise and pregnancy than is the typical person on the street....or in the gym.

This, the original, "Thank you for your opinion," and a few others people have suggested are fantastic. If I'm ever pregnant I'll memorise one and set it to automatic.

Honestly, the sheer amount of unwarranted advice and plain stupid things some people say to pregnant women...

No pregnancy/kids yet but I've got my line already for when "you shouldn't be doing blah, blah, blah". It's one I use all the time. "It's ok, I know what I'm doing. I'm a doctor", true not an MD, but I do have PhD after my name.

Amazingly no one has every asked to see my credentials or busted out medical questions on me so ya know...feel free to use it.

I have to deal with someone in my life who firmly believes that the more I exercise now (while pregnant), the healthier and more predisposed to exercise the baby will be after he's born. As in, my workout somehow gives the fetus a workout and a healthy mindset.

Yeah, that's not how it works. I have learned to just not respond at all beyond saying "Yep, exercise is a good thing." (FTR, this baby is FAR more active than I am, he never stops kicking and pushing and spinning around in there.)

Doesn't it seem like the most poorly informed people have the loudest opinions?

I have to deal with someone in my life who firmly believes that the more I exercise now (while pregnant), the healthier and more predisposed to exercise the baby will be after he's born. As in, my workout somehow gives the fetus a workout and a healthy mindset.

Yeah, that's not how it works. I have learned to just not respond at all beyond saying "Yep, exercise is a good thing." (FTR, this baby is FAR more active than I am, he never stops kicking and pushing and spinning around in there.)

Doesn't it seem like the most poorly informed people have the loudest opinions?

Hey, he/she is right! It says so right here in this book, Heredity and Pre-Natal Culture! (Yes, it's a real book- I own a copy. It was written in 1898. )

I have to deal with someone in my life who firmly believes that the more I exercise now (while pregnant), the healthier and more predisposed to exercise the baby will be after he's born. As in, my workout somehow gives the fetus a workout and a healthy mindset.

I always took this to mean that exercise is helpful to the mother to healthfully carry the pregnancy and recover after birth, helpful to the development of the baby in utero, helpful to delivery, and helpful to a child as she grows up if healthful exercise is modeled for her by her parents. More of a "nurture" than a "nature" argument.

I have to deal with someone in my life who firmly believes that the more I exercise now (while pregnant), the healthier and more predisposed to exercise the baby will be after he's born. As in, my workout somehow gives the fetus a workout and a healthy mindset.

I always took this to mean that exercise is helpful to the mother to healthfully carry the pregnancy and recover after birth, helpful to the development of the baby in utero, helpful to delivery, and helpful to a child as she grows up if healthful exercise is modeled for her by her parents. More of a "nurture" than a "nature" argument.

The nurture part, I totally agree with and that is something DH and I have been and will continue to instill in DD and future DS. The issue with this person is that they don't acknowledge the primary benefit of exercise-during-pregnancy is to me, the pregnant one, and think I should be exercising more often and more strenuously, solely because it will make the baby "fitter," if that makes sense. It's just far enough off the mark to be frustrating.

I did weightlifting straight through to 41 weeks with both pregnancies (yes, 41!) and I've heard it all. "Thanks for your opinion" is kind of you. I didn't try wasting my time trying to argue with people, I had a workout to deal with Workouts, coffee, standing too long, lifting 5lbs (but nobody seems to want to help a pregnanat woman hauling a 40lb toddler), eh. I'm so glad I'm done having kids.

Good luck! I had two long difficult labours that did not end in C-section because of my physical fitness. That alone saved me! I have no regrets.